Son of Sakura
by Emotional-Hikari
Summary: CHAPT 8 UP! After meeting a boy who mysteriously looks just like him, Crawford discovers a secret that has been kept from him for seven years. SemiCrawford centered. Pls R
1. First Impressions

*sighs* When will I ever learn? Anyways – new story minna-san! This one is a bit weird, but enjoy!!  
  
Warnings: Hmm...  
  
Pairings: Double, hmmmm....  
  
Rating: PG  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Crawford and Schuldig walked down the sidewalk, the streets being surprisingly less crowded then usual. The two had just finished working out terms with Weiss; lately both teams seemed to have been targeted by someone – someone who seemed even more powerful then Schwarz.  
  
"I still don't see why we're at truce with Weiss!"  
  
"We're both targets – it would be efficient to work together then against each other." Crawford replied, still walking ahead Schuldig. The redhead pouted a little at the response, but continued on walking behind. Neither men paid much attention to the boy rushing towards them, pushing past Crawford and brushing shoulders roughly with Schuldig.  
  
"OI! Watch where you're going!!!" Schuldig yelled over his shoulder; the boy ignored him, keeping his pace as he ran further away from them. Schuldig fumed a little, before turning back to walk head, when Crawford spoke.  
  
"You might want to check yourself..."  
  
"Hn?" Schuldig blinked, but checked his pockets and his jacket anyways; his eyes widened realizing that something was missing and he had a feeling the boy was responsible.  
  
"That brat stole my wallet!!" Schuldig turned around, using his unnatural speed to catch up with the boy. Crawford let out a sigh as he watched the redhead disappear down the sidewalk. He started walking, letting his mind's eye lead him to where Schuldig and the boy would be later.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
The boy turned down into an alley, stopping to catch his breath. Sweat dripped from underneath the cap he wore. He pulled out the wallet he had snitched from a redhead a way back, searching through the contents. He found a few yen bills and some cards.  
  
// Wonder what these can be used for? //  
  
The boy flipped through the cards, finding some weird ones he wasn't sure would be used for. He also noticed that there was no identification inside.  
  
// What idiot doesn't carry an ID around? //  
  
"An idiot who wishes to keep themselves a secret maybe?" The boy gapped, turning his head around to see the owner of the wallet standing at the front of the alley – and not at all looking happy. The boy placed the wallet inside his jacket and started to run, making for the other end of the alley. He felt his arm get caught by the redhead, getting throw down to the ground; he felt the same arm be grabbed and pulled back in a painful position. The boy screamed in pain, unable to wriggle out of the redhead's grasp.  
  
"Now, I'll ask you nicely – give it back and I'll let you go!!" The boy only replied with a painful gasp, his cap making it hard to see his eyes. The redhead pulled his arm back further, inducing more pain.  
  
"I won't ask again... Give – it – back... ite!" Schuldig let out a yelp, from getting whacked hard on the head. He looked behind him to see Crawford glaring down at him, arms crossed over his chest.  
  
:: What the hell was that for?! ::  
  
Schuldig complained mentally, still holding the boy's arm in a painful position; Crawford narrowed his eyes more.  
  
// Let him go, Schuldig. There are better ways to handle this... //  
  
Schuldig humped, but released the boy's arm. The boy immediately rubbed his sore arm, wincing at the pain that still resided in his arm. Crawford knelt down in front of the boy, holding out a few yen bills in front of him. The boy's cap made it extremely difficult to see his eyes.  
  
"If you give back the wallet, I'll give you these." Crawford reasoned, holding the bills in close range. The boy made a grab for them, but Crawford saw it ahead of time, pulling the yen away before he could grab.  
  
"Wallet first." The boy frowned, but reached into his jacket and pulled out Schuldig's wallet, passing it to Crawford. The raven-head took it, handing the bills to the boy. Schuldig snatched his wallet back, turning his head away from the boy, mumbling under his breath about being cheap.  
  
The boy got up and started to head down the alley, but he stopped, and started to run in the other direction. Crawford and Schuldig blinked in slight confusion, before seeing a chain from the shadows lash out, catching the boy around the legs. A group of five men stepped out, one of the pulling the chain loose from the boy's leg.  
  
"Looks like you've got some new friends – hope they brought more cash with them." The other members snickered, the main leader cracking his knuckles. The boy clutched his teeth, standing up to his feet.  
  
"You bastards!"  
  
"Is that all you can say? Well, if you don't mind, we'll take your money and go." Crawford and Schuldig stepped in front of the boy, Crawford telling him to turn around and not look back till he had said so. The boy made a small noise in confusion, but turned away from them either way.  
  
"So you think you can fight us? Five against two?"  
  
"I don't think – you know what we're capable of..." Schuldig began with a smirk, placing one hand on his hip. Crawford pushed his glasses up higher on his nose, the light reflection hiding his eyes. The five gang members charged at the two Schwarz members.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Maaa... why do we have to do this?!" Schuldig whined, a very, very unhappy expression on his face. Crawford ignored him, his eye twitched just a little; the boy looked between the two walking aside of him, shaking his head.  
  
"You don't HAVE to take me home. I'm fine from here."  
  
"See, Crawford! Can't we just leave now?!"  
  
"No. I want to make sure he gets home without anymore trouble..." Schuldig whined in Crawford's head, the raven-head blocking him from his mind. The boy grumbled a little, something about being capable of taking care of himself.  
  
"Oi, kid..."  
  
"I have a name you know!!" The boy yelled, moving to stomp on Schuldig's foot; fortunately, the redhead picked up on the thought fast enough to move away.  
  
"If you tell me, maybe I'll start calling you by your name!!"  
  
"Ryo..."  
  
"Ryo? Very basic name." This time Schuldig didn't pay attention; Ryo successfully stomped his foot. Schuldig let out a slight yelp of pain, whacking the Ryo on the head. Crawford stepped between them, putting distance between the two.  
  
"Kappa!"  
  
"What did you just call me?!" Schuldig demanded over Crawford's shoulder. Ryo stared at the redhead in the eyes, though his cap made it difficult for Schuldig to see his eyes.  
  
"Kappa! That's what I called you!!"  
  
"You little..." Crawford put a hand to the side of Schuldig's head, pushing the redhead slightly off balance. Schuldig pouted, complaining that the older man was being too nice to Ryo.  
  
"He's a kid, he can afford to be immature – YOU, on the other hand, are an adult! You're acting younger then he is." Schuldig pouted more, before turning his head away and crossed his arms over his chest. The remaining trip was silent till they reached Ryo's home.  
  
A woman maybe around late 30's welcomed them warmly, embracing Ryo the minute he stepped through the door.  
  
"I was so worried, Ryo! I thought something bad happened to you!!"  
  
"Mou, O-ba-chan!! Stop!!" The woman let him go, inviting Crawford and Schuldig inside. The two stepped in, mainly because Schuldig was a bit hungry and the woman was sitting down to some tea and snacks. The woman introduced herself as Ayumi, saying she was the guardian of Ryo; she made the boy sit at the table with everyone else.  
  
"Thank you for taking care of him. Ryo is always in trouble with something."  
  
"It's not a problem." Crawford replied; Schuldig mentally gave the older man his expression.  
  
:: Speak for yourself, Crawford!! ::  
  
"But thank you anyways, and... Ryo! Take off your hat!! We have guests!!" Ayumi scolded; Ryo's face tensed a little, but he agreed, grabbing the rim of his cap and pulled it off. Both Schuldig and Crawford stared in complete shock at the boy, for the first time seeing Ryo's features. He had strikingly beautiful light amber-brown eyes, which looked through thin- framed glasses; his face was round, but it was expected on him as a child. His hair was night black, bangs falling in an almost organized way in front of his face.  
  
Schuldig blinked several times at Ryo's features – he didn't believe in mystics, but he could have sworn he was staring at a smaller version of Crawford. Even Crawford himself stared in shock at how much Ryo mirrored him in many features. Ryo shifted, feeling uncomfortable by the silence.  
  
"I'm going upstairs..." Before Ayumi could stop him, Ryo had already climbed up the stairs. The graying-haired woman sighed, apologizing for Ryo's behavior.  
  
"I'm sorry – ever since his mother's accident, he's been like this."  
  
"Accident?" Both Crawford and Schuldig asked at the same time. Ayumi nodded her head, sitting back down and began to explain. Ryo's mother had been caught in an accident four years ago and currently is lying in a coma at the hospital.  
  
"As a close friend, I took Ryo in and paid for his mother's medical bills. I have enough to last us all, but... Ryo feels bad, so he tries to pay sometimes."  
  
"Which leads him to pickpocketing..." Schuldig added, remembering how the raven-head boy had snitched his wallet. Ayumi's eyes widened, knowing that Ryo had pick-pocketed one of them.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry – I can pay if you're missing anything.  
  
"Iie – we got it back." Ayumi calmed down a little, pouring more tea for herself and for them.  
  
"I'm glad – since Sakura's gone, he's been kind of lonely."  
  
"Sakura?" Crawford questioned, the name ringing a faint bell in his mind. Ayumi blinked at him, nodding her head.  
  
"Yes. Sakura is Ryo's mother's name." Ayumi explained. Crawford hummed, quietly sipping at the tea poured for him. Schuldig blinked, sensing a brief change in the older man's thoughts before being blocked out. Ayumi continued about what had happened to Sakura and how it seemed to have affected Ryo. She explained something else – about Ryo's father, the man who never seemed to have been in the picture.  
  
"Sakura won't tell me his name, but she says he was the only man she's ever been intimate with. Ryo is very anxious to meet his father one day." Crawford hummed again, his mind going back years before he became part of Schwarz. There was a trip to Japan he remembered and a woman – someone who seemed to have touched him very deeply, the only one who had touched very deeply.  
  
"You said Ryo's mother's name is Sakura, correct?"  
  
"Hai. Do you – know her?"  
  
"... Maybe." Crawford answered softly; Ayumi stared at him with curiosity, before checking the time. Schuldig nudged Crawford, mentally saying it was time to get; Crawford agreed. They both stood up and apologized that they had to leave now; Ayumi said it was alright and led them to the door. She briefly told Crawford the address of the hospital where Sakura was, incase he did know her.  
  
"Thank you." With that, the two Schwarz members left; Schuldig stretched his arms over his head, letting out a content sigh.  
  
"That was nice. Ayumi is pretty good at cooking, ne?" Schuldig paused, watching Crawford's face. He noticed a sudden emotion he had never seen before on the older man – sort of a sad, almost longing expression. Schuldig felt an uneasy feeling rise in his gut.  
  
"Oi, are you okay?"  
  
"I'm going to check something... you can go home if you want." The redhead blinked, but shrugged his shoulders and went off in a different direction, waving over his shoulder. Crawford stood for a few moments, making sure that Schuldig was actually going home and not letting his curiosity get the better of him. Satisfied that Schuldig had gone home, Crawford headed over to the hospital, the address Ayumi had given him to check for himself.  
  
// Anyone could have been named Sakura – it's not that uncommon... I just hope it's not my Sakura... //  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Anyways – there will be some hints of shounen-ai in here, but just because it's not completely shounen-ai please don't judge it quickly!! It will be good, I promise!!!! Anyways, a little starter thing – see how it goes from here, whether I'll continue or not... till next time! JA~  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	2. Sakura

Yoshi!! Sorry this took a while to update, but here it is finally!! Please give it a chance!! I know there's not much shounen-ai or yaoi (if any) but it'll be good – I promise!!! Anyways...  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Rating: PG  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Crawford stared up at the white building in front of him; he took in several deep breaths before walking up the small flight of steps to the entrance, and walked through the doors. He stopped at the information desk, asking about a woman named Sakura.  
  
"Sakura,?"  
  
"Takamizawa, Sakura." The woman searched through the data base, running a finger down the screen so is not to lose her place. She let out a small noise in accomplishment, pointing Crawford the way to the room. Crawford thanked her, a tight feeling forming in his chest. He walked down the hall till he came to the door the woman had pointed out for him. He placed his hand on the handle, closing his eyes shut.  
  
// Anything, but what Ayumi told me... //  
  
He prayed, taking in a deep breath and opened the door; he opened his eyes as he stepped in, taking in the surroundings. Crawford noticed a woman sleeping in a bed just across the way; he recognized her as his Sakura, the woman he had met and fell deeply for.  
  
"Sakura?" Crawford closed the door behind him and began walking towards the bed. He stood by the edge, gazing down at her with an almost painful look. He lightly touched his fingers against her cheek, gently sliding them down to her chin.  
  
// No... Sakura! //  
  
Crawford drew back his hand, seeing as Sakura wasn't waking up. He found a stool nearby and dragged it closer to the bed, seating himself down on it. He watched Sakura's still face, the sounds of the heart monitor finally reaching his ears. He felt a heavy pain in his heart, seeing Sakura in this condition; neither did he understand how or why she had gotten into this in the first place.  
  
// Sakura, you were the most cautious, prestige, and step cautious person I've ever meet. //  
  
He bit down on his lower lip, doing everything to prevent himself from crying. He reached a hand out for Sakura's; despite the high running air- conditioner, her hands were still soft and warm as always.  
  
"How did you end up like this? Sakura..." Crawford tightened his hold around her hand, closing his eyes shut. He tried harder to keep the tears from escaping his eyes. He saw something flash in his mind's eye, opening his eyes and looked to the window across the room. He heard noises coming from beneath the sill, seeing an arm reach around to grab the other side. Crawford stood up from the stool, going over to the window. He looked down to see it was Ryo, struggling between getting through the window and not damage the flowers he was holding. Crawford looked down at the boy; he couldn't help but smirk at the naïve act.  
  
"There is a door you know."  
  
"Just shut up and help me over!!!" Ryo scowled, feeling his grip slip a little. Crawford made a quick grab for Ryo's arm before the raven-head slipped completely. He grabbed Ryo under the arms, carefully lifting the boy through the window and gently placed him on the floor. Ryo dusted himself off, adjusting his cap that he had been wearing earlier. He walked past Crawford, going over to the bed; he took the dying flowers out of the vase on the bed stand, replacing them with the new ones he had brought with him.  
  
"Konban wa, O-kaa-san." Crawford's eyes widened at how Ryo addressed Sakura. Ryo stood by the bed, holding his mother's arm, talking to her as if she was listening to him.  
  
"I'm waiting O-kaa-san, I'll wait for you to wake up. And I'll find O-too- san as well!" Crawford came up behind Ryo, simply standing there watching boy talk to Sakura. After a few minutes, Ryo fell silent, taking his cap off and held it to his chest.  
  
"So, Sakura is your mother?"  
  
"Hai. O-kaa-san got in an accident four years ago. I was around three when it happened."  
  
"Sou... ka..." A heavy silence fell between the two, the only sounds being the heart monitor. Ryo placed his cap back on his head, his whimpers breaking the silence. Crawford reached a hand out, at first hesitant as whether or not to touch the boy; he placed a gentle hand on Ryo's shoulder, receiving a surprised noise from the boy.  
  
"Boku..." Before Ryo began his sentence, the door handle rattled. Ryo panicked and hid under the bed, asking Crawford not to tell he was here. Crawford agreed, looking up at the nurse as she entered the room.  
  
"Suimimasen, just checking through."  
  
"Aa..." After the nurse finished her run through, she left and Crawford cleared okay for Ryo. The boy came out from under the bed, letting out a sigh of relief; Crawford eyed him curiously.  
  
"Why did you hide?"  
  
"The nurses are kind of anger at me and they won't allow me in for awhile." Ryo answered straight forward; Crawford blinked, going to seat himself back down on the stool.  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"I got in a fight with one of the patients here..."  
  
"You're violent, aren't you." Crawford said more as a fact then a question. Ryo ignored him, taking his cap off again, seeing that he wasn't crying anymore. Crawford felt a small smile appear on his face, finding it amusing, and maybe ironic, that Ryo mirrored in looks as well as personality.  
  
The two sat quietly, before Ryo starting asking questions – why Crawford was here, how he knew his mother, what relationship they had. Crawford answered most of the questions, leaving a few blank spaces about his relationship with Sakura, seeing as how far they went. Once in a while a nurse would drop by and Ryo would keep hiding under the bed till she left. After about an hour, Ryo headed back to the window.  
  
"Auntie will wonder where I am if I stay here longer."  
  
"Shouldn't you sneak out through the door? It'll be much safer."  
  
"This isn't the first time I've had to climb through the window – besides I can jump this." Crawford stood to his feet at the word 'jump'; to climb down and to jump down were two completely different things. They were on the third level and it was still quite far for a boy his age to jump from.  
  
"You can't be serious! You could hurt yourself – or are you just too confident in your ability." Ryo looked back at Crawford, kneeling in the window frame. A tiny smirk, one which reminded Crawford all too much of himself, spread across his face.  
  
"Not confident – just knowing!" Was all he said; Crawford blinked, somehow finding those words to be strikingly familiar to him. Before he could think anymore on it, Ryo jumped from the sill, closing his eyes as he fell. Crawford rushed to the window, looking over to see Ryo falling through. He heard a soft thud, the same sound of landing on a mattress; Ryo looked up at him, a large grin on his face. The two men who were carrying the mattress stared in completely surprise at the boy on they mat. Ryo jumped off and walked away, the two men blinking after him.  
  
Crawford retracted from the window, letting out a huge sigh at the boy's safety. He took off his glasses, burying his face in his hand; he now knew where the phrase came from – Crawford himself had once said that to Sakura when they had to take a leap of faith. Crawford removed his hand, placing his glasses back on; he turned to face Sakura, coming up to her side.  
  
// Sakura – is Ryo my son? Our son? Sakura... //  
  
Crawford reached his hand out again for Sakura's, cradling it tenderly within his own. As always, she felt soft and warm.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
*sighs* Anyways, you've reached bottom!! So this is getting a bit weird, but please review and don't judge so quickly! Thank you for reading though!! Hope to see you again! Till next time!  
  
Hikari!! ^_^ (Hikari12) 


	3. Know Him at Least

Ha!! Another one up and ready!! P I'm happy – last day of school hah!!! (peace!) Well, hopefully my writing productive will increase – if not, then I'm just being lazy! .  
  
Well, let's not suspense... Enjoy!  
  
Warnings: Um... maybe shounen-ai?? (maybe not??)  
  
Pairings: Whoever else will appear in this fic!! (Quite frankly, no one has so far. ¬.¬" )  
  
Rating: PG

* * *

"Hai, hai! Coming!" Ayumi made her way to the door, opening it to allow the person in. She was a bit surprised to see it was Crawford standing there.  
  
"Crawford-san? What are you doing here? It can't be Ryo, he's in school right now."  
  
"Sorry to disturb you – mind if I come in?" Ayumi stepped aside, holding her arm out as an invitation. Crawford thanked her, stepping inside the home as she closed the door behind him. She showed him to the living room, seating him down on the couch before going off to bring some tea to drink.  
  
"For what do I expect this visit?"  
  
"I visited Sakura at the hospital last night..." Ayumi's cheery aura disperse, her face falling from welcoming to being serious. She let out a small 'oh', turning her head to face the space in front of her. A long, uncomfortable silence hung between them, neither knowing what to say or what to ask one another. Finally, Ayumi took the first step.  
  
"Did you know her?"  
  
"I did... long ago, I did..."  
  
"Sou desu..." A silence fell upon them again; it seem to be such a foreign topic – almost forbidden – to talk about. Ayumi quietly poured some tea, handing a cup to Crawford; the man thanked her, lightly blowing on it to cool it down, but never drank it.  
  
"How well did you know her?" The question came out a bit awkward to both, Ayumi receiving no answer from Crawford.  
  
"... Well enough to know my relation to Ryo..." Ayumi's eyes widened at the response, turning to face the man.  
  
"Masaka...!!"  
  
"Sakura and I were very deep, I can't remember the last time I gave my heart so freely like that."  
  
"U'so... u'so darou!" Crawford fell silent, his hands gripping the cup in a tight squeeze. He knew what he had to say next, and it would not be pleasant for either him or Ayumi.  
  
"Ryo is... my son as well..." Ayumi didn't make a noise this time, staring at Crawford with wide eyes. She turned her head away, staring down at the ground with her lips quivering a little. Crawford finally took a sip of his tea, the liquid now too cold to taste well; he had let it sit too long. After a few moments of an awkward silence, he put the cup down on the table, standing up to his feet.  
  
"I'm sorry to have disrupted you like this. I will leave now." Crawford walked out of the living room out to the entrance hall; he reached out for the handle when Ayumi stopped him.  
  
"Matte kudasai!" Crawford paused, turning around to find the graying woman standing behind him, lips still quivering.  
  
"Do you want me to tell Ryo you're his father? He is very anxious to meet you someday."  
  
"...No... No, don't tell him." Ayumi blinked, confused on why Crawford didn't want his own son to know he was his father. Crawford turned back to the door, placing on a hand on the knob.  
  
"Naze ka?"  
  
"I have to process this information myself... I didn't know myself that he existed till now." Crawford turned the handle, opening the door for himself; he walked out, leaving Ayumi standing there gazing after him with confused eyes. The door closed behind him and Ayumi sank to the floor on her knees.  
  
= _Did he not know about Ryo? For 7 years?_ =  
  
Ayumi sat there for several minutes, before realizing she still had chores to do and that there was a kettle of perfectly good tea that had gone to waste. She gathered herself together, standing up to her feet and continued with her chores.

* * *

Crawford visited the hospital again, this time going during the day. He sat by the bed Sakura laid in, just watching her and thinking, remembering, asking. On occasions he would hold her hand, just to give him comfort that she was still alive; it always relieved him that her hand was still warm.  
  
He wasn't sure just how long he stayed there, but long enough. A knock on the door distracted his attention, turning his head to see it was Ayumi with Ryo at the door. Crawford blinked a little, before looking at the time to find he had been here for nearly 4 hours.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm not interrupting anything special, am I?" Ayumi asked, letting go of Ryo's hand. The boy made his way over to his mother, exchanging a quick glance with Crawford before looking to his mother. Crawford stood to his feet, heading towards the door, letting Ryo have his time with Sakura.  
  
"Do you mind if I talk to you?" Ayumi asked, pausing him at the door. Crawford blinked a moment, then nodded his head and Ayumi followed him out to the hallway. She closed the door behind her, making sure Ryo wouldn't hear any of the conversation going on outside between them. They remained silent with one another, till Ayumi finally spoke up.  
  
"I know you told me not to tell Ryo, you're his father, but... can you at least – baby-sit him?" Crawford blinked, completely taken back by surprise at the question. Ayumi continued on, eyes staring down at the ground.  
  
"At least get to know him – he is your son after all. It won't be so much time, and if you want, I can pay you like any other caretaker."  
  
"No – no. It's fine. I'll... I accept your offer, Ayumi-san." Ayumi looked up at him with wide eyes, before a gentle smile appeared on her face. She let out a sigh.  
  
"Yokatta. I'm sure Ryo would be glad to have you take care of him while I'm gone. It might seem so sudden, but I have a business trip this weekend and I need someone to look after him..."  
  
"I'll do it, if you want." Crawford answered before the older woman finished her question. Ayumi smiled, nodding her head. She gave him the time for him to be there and explained she'll leave a written schedule or list for Ryo for him, and a contact list in case anything went wrong.  
  
"Then it is settled. Arigatou gozaimasu."  
  
"It's not a problem." Crawford turned to leave, saying a brief farewell to the graying woman; Ayumi returned it, watching him go for a moment with a blank look, before going back inside the room to check on Ryo.

* * *

Anyways! Now Crawford gets to be Ryo's babysitter – oh! And he drags Schuldig along so he's not so lonely taking care of Ryo! You'll see, connections start to form and it'll all be cute!! Anyways, later chapts will have more elaboration on Crawford's and Sakura's past together.  
  
For now, please review – comments, critics, anything is welcome!! (Expect flames!! Those will be burned along with my textbooks and all my homework assignments of the year in a large bon-fire!)  
  
Emotional-Hikari 


	4. First time on the Job

* * *

Yoshi!! Gomen ne, Minna-san!! But this will be my last update for a while... I'm traveling tom!! And don't know when I'll get to a computer during the holiday! But, when I do, I'll be working on things to update soon! (Hopefully) Anyways, on we go!  
  
Rating: PG

* * *

"Mouuuu!! Why do I have to come?!?" Schuldig whined, unable to pull himself away from Crawford's tight, strong grip. The older man ignored him, pulling the redhead along with him. It was Friday, and he had promised Ayumi that he would baby sit Ryo while she was gone; however he wasn't going to do it alone – not with some work to do.  
  
"But why me??? I hate kids – especially that kid!!"  
  
"Nagi is too young, and Farafello would probably scare him after a while." Crawford explained, not loosening or releasing his hold on Schuldig. The redhead grumbled, cursing under his breath at the older man, which Crawford ignored. They reached the door to the narrow house, Crawford still keeping a hold on Schuldig, knocking on the door.  
  
"Hai, coming!" Ayumi greeted them, dressed in an overcoat for travel, two carrying bags sitting by the door. She had a gentle smile on her face, thanking Crawford for taking care of Ryo.  
  
"I hope you will change your mind about not telling Ryo – he really wants to meet you." She whispered in his ear, making sure Schuldig wouldn't hear them. Crawford didn't answer, silent or oral. Ayumi picked up her bags, giving them one last run through of instructions for Ryo, before heading down to a taxi she had a called to take her to the airport.  
  
"I hope he won't be too much trouble for you! Please take care of him!!" Ayumi waved goodbye to Schuldig and Crawford, quickly getting into the taxi. Schuldig returned the wave, Crawford stepping inside the entrance hall; Schuldig followed after begrudgingly, grumbling to himself. Crawford walked into the living room, finding Ryo sitting on the floor, flipping through what looked like a photo album.  
  
"Hello Ryo..." The young raven-head jumped slightly, turning his head to face the older man. He quickly closed the album, placing it on the coffee table in front of him. Crawford felt a slight smile appear on his face, walking over to sit on the floor next to him, reaching for the album.  
  
"...O-OI!!" Ryo made a quick grab for the album, but Crawford pulled away, the boy ended up landing face first on the floor. Crawford let out a slight laugh, helping Ryo sit back up. The boy pulled away from his grasp, taking off his glasses to wipe away the smudge.  
  
"Do you mind if you show me your album?" Crawford asked, holding the spiral bound book out. Ryo stared at him for a moment, before taking the book and opened it to the first page, showing the older man the pictures. Crawford recognized the woman who seemed to show up the most – Sakura.  
  
"That's me and O-kaa-san when I was 3."  
  
"Now weren't you adorable!" A semi-sarcastic remark from behind made Ryo's eyes widened a little, turning his head to face Schuldig leaning over the sofa, staring over their shoulders. The raven-head boy let out a noise of surprise, pointing at the redhead.  
  
"AAHH!! It's the kappa!!"  
  
"Kappa?! Why you little...!!" Schuldig dove over the sofa, trying to grab the boy; Ryo quickly handed the album to Crawford, moving out of the line of the dive. The redhead ended up face first on the floor, while Ryo scrambled to his feet and began running towards the stairs.  
  
"TEMEE!!" Schuldig got up in quick speed, trying to catch the boy before he could disappear up the stairs.  
  
"Kappa!!"  
  
"Come back and tell it to my face, you brat!!!" Crawford watched as Schuldig chased Ryo around the small house. He couldn't help but laugh a little, looking through the rest of the album while the two kept busy. His expression saddened a little, looking at the pictures of Sakura on the pages – his Sakura. Schuldig and Ryo came running through, the redhead finally able to pin the boy and wrestle with him on the floor. Crawford had moved to the sofa, rendering him far from the action going on, on the floor.  
  
"See if you can call me a kappa now, brat!!"  
  
"Yes I can!! Kappa, kappa, kappa, kappa!!!" Annoyed, Schuldig hit Ryo on the head, the boy letting out a yelp. Schuldig had small smile of victory on his face, when Crawford hit him hard on the head, receiving a slight glare from the redhead.  
  
"OI! What was that for??"  
  
"We're suppose to be taking care of him... try to be nice for once in your life!"  
  
"Not my fault the kid's a brat." Schuldig mumbled under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest as he pouted a little. Crawford went over to Ryo to see if the boy was alright; the young raven-head had taken off his glasses just in case, so there was no issue there. And Schuldig didn't seem to hit him too hard.  
  
"You alright, Ryo?"  
  
"I'm fine!!" He replied softly, a slight pout on his face. Ryo got up to his feet, back tracking to where he had left his glasses, putting them on and walked back to the living room, picking up the photo album to put back on the shelf. Schuldig seated himself on the sofa, rubbing his head and grumbling to himself. Ryo came back a minute later, sitting on the floor, not wanting to be anywhere near Schuldig. Crawford stood to his feet, looking around the small house; the three remained in silence, the outside noises being the only sounds in this tense moment. Crawford turned his attention to Ryo.  
  
"Ryo, what does Ayumi usually make you do in your free time?" The raven- head looked up at him with blank eyes.  
  
"Nothing – I'm usually in my room. Auntie doesn't let me go outside."  
  
"How come?" Crawford questioned; Ryo didn't look up at him, turning his face away from both of them. Schuldig blinked at the thoughts he picked up, a slight grin spreading across his face.  
  
"She's afraid Ryo might get into trouble – you know, with pick pocketing and all." Ryo looked up at Schuldig with a surprised look, not understand how the redhead knew that. Schuldig grinned wider, standing up to his feet; Ryo quickly stood to his feet, being ready to bolt if the redhead decided to chase him.  
  
"It's not good to keep a child inside. Come on, Ryo. Let's go outside, I know a great game we can play."  
  
"Schuldig!" Crawford stressed the redhead's name a bit, a silent warning hidden in it. Schuldig grinned at him, waving a hand in the air.  
  
"Don't worry – it'll be fun **and** safe." Schuldig implied with a casual face; Crawford frowned, narrowing his eyes at the younger man. Schuldig nodded, looking back to Ryo; he held his hand out to the boy.  
  
"So, want to go outside?" Ryo glared at the hand out stretched to him, simply passing by Schuldig and towards the door. Schuldig watched, placing a hand on his hip as the raven-haired boy waited by the door for them.  
  
"I take it as a yes then." Ryo didn't say anything; Schuldig headed towards the door, glancing at Crawford briefly.  
  
:: _Coming?_ ::  
  
Crawford let out a sigh, relaxing his face. He followed after Schuldig and Ryo, the boy grabbing a spare key to the house. Crawford took the key from Ryo, getting a startle yelp and a surprised look from the boy.  
  
"Sorry, but if you don't mind, I'd like to keep for safe keeping." Ryo mumbled to himself, but nodded his head. The trio walked out, Schuldig began leading the way to where he wanted to go, the two raven heads following behind him uneasily.

* * *

Hmm, I wonder what kind of game Schu has in mind to play that's fun and safe? O.o Well, we'll soon find out in the next chapt – and Ryo asks Crawford to tell him how he and Sakura met! Ooo! That should be good!! Anyways, thank you all for reading!! (Thanks especially to Gezaki, The First Light, and suninun!) Till next time! Ja! Emotional-Hikari


	5. All Fun and Games

Yosha!! I finally updated this story!! And there's a lot of things going in here – so be prepared!!! Anyways, sorry for taking so long on this – kinda got stuck with the plot, but now it's moving much faster – hope to get the rest soon!!

Enjoy!

Warnings: Um... maybe shounen-ai hints?? (Sweatdrop, unsure)

Pairings: Several hinted Crawford/Sakura

Rating: PG

* * *

Schuldig walked ahead, with Ryo and Crawford following behind him; they had been following the redhead for a while now, both beginning to worry exactly where the man was taking them. Schuldig stopped a moment to think about the direction, before continuing on ahead, leading them to a fairly large park. Both Ryo and Crawford blinked, when Schuldig pointed the place out.

"Well, we're here! Now, I'll show you the game!" Schuldig directed his grin to Ryo, the boy cringing slightly at the thought of what this 'game' might be. The redhead took them up a hill, standing at the top of what looked like a gradual down-slope of 7-8 feet. He stood Ryo next to him, the boy glaring at him from the side. Schuldig grabbed his glasses, the boy trying to get them back, waving his arms fairly far from the redhead.

"Can't have these – might get damaged! Now – I used to play this back in Germany when I was kid. It's really fun!" Schuldig explained with a wide smile on his face; Ryo glared up in the generally direction of the man, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And just how do you play this game?!"

"Easy! The person who is pushed down the hill the least amout of time, is the winner!" Ryo and Crawford stared wide-eyed at the redhead, but Schuldig had already shoved Ryo down to a rolling start down the hill. Ryo fell face first on the grass, wiping the dirt of his face; he could hear the older man laughing from top the hill. Annoyed, Ryo ran back up the hill, attempting to throw a punch at him – he missed by a mile without his glasses.

"Teeme!! What the hell was that for?!"

"As I said, person with the least amount times down the hill is the winner. It's a dirty game, but what's fun without a little dirt?" Ryo tried to make a grab for Schuldig's arm, the redhead catching him by the shirt and sent him rolling back down the hill. Ryo kept coming back up, each time covered with more dirt and grass stains.

"KAPPA!!!!" Ryo lunged at him, Schuldig simply sidestepping the attack sending the boy back down the hill. Crawford watched from where he was standing, letting out a sigh at the 'battle' going on. After the 14th push from Schuldig, Ryo didn't come back up; Schuldig looked down the hill to see the raven-head sitting on the ground, head bowed down.

"Geeze, that kid is hopeless for outdoor activity!" Crawford came up behind him, looking down at the boy at the bottom of the hill. He noticed Ryo's shoulders shaking a little, knowing Ryo was crying. Though he only recently found out Ryo was his son and feelings were still mixed, he couldn't help but feel an urge to gather the boy in his arms. Crawford took Ryo's glasses from Schuldig's hand, the redhead blinking at him.

"I think Ryo just needs a little boost of encouragement, don't you?"

"Wha...?" Before Schuldig could answer, Crawford had pushed him down the hill, the redhead rolling down landing face first next to Ryo. Ryo removed his hands from his face, tears streaming down his face; he looked at the older man face first in the grass. Schuldig sat up, spitting out the dirt that got into his mouth; he looked back to see Crawford smirking down him, letting out a muttered curse.

"You – got pushed down." Kyo stated; Schuldig looked at him with an indifferent look, patting the dust out of his hair.

"Yeah, well – Crawford's giving you a chance." He stood up to his feet, looking down at the boy with a grin; Ryo narrowed his eyes, standing up to his feet as well, glaring up at the redhead.

"Think you can still beat me?"

"Try me!!" The two raced back up the hill, the first up there having the advantage of knocking the other down easily. Crawford stepped back, a slight smile appearing on his face; he watched as the two began to battled it out again, watching Ryo managed to push Schuldig down the hill a couple of times this round.

* * *

Schuldig let out a loud, content sigh, stretching his arms above his head; despite being covered in dirt and grass stains, he was feeling really good with himself. Ryo walked besides Crawford, hands behind his head as they headed back for home – Ryo's home. The boy, too, was covered with stains; Crawford sighed at the mess, vividly imaging Sakura's expression if she saw their son covered in dirt like this.

:.: _"Mou, look at you! Ryo, you're filthy! Come on, we should get you cleaned up right away!!"_

"_O-kaa-san!!"_ :.:

Crawford smiled at the thought, too distracted to hear Schuldig talking to Ryo.

"So what did you think?"

"About what?" Ryo asked, looking up briefly at the redhead walking ahead of him; Schuldig dropped back a little to walk next to the boy.

"About the game – fun, ne?"

"...Yeah – I guess it was fun. I've played better games." Ryo replied, looking ahead him. Schuldig grinned, knowing what the boy really thought of the game; it had been more then just fun and probably the first outdoor game outside of school the raven-head ever played. Schuldig broke Crawford's thoughts before the older man walked right past the house. Crawford cleared his throat to avoid any embarrassment, taking the key out of his pocket to open the door.

"Since you, Schuldig, got Ryo dirty, you'll be the one to give him a bath."

"WHAT?!" Both Ryo and Schuldig yelled at the same time; Crawford ignored them, walking towards the living room where he had set up a laptop for the weekend.

"You can't be serious!! I'm not letting this kappa touch me!!"

"And there's no way I'm going to bath that kid! And I'm not a kappa, you brat!!" Schuldig and Ryo glared at each other. Crawford simply waved his hand in the air, continuing on to the living room. Schuldig let out a sigh, before grabbing the boy by the wrist and dragged him upstairs.

"OI! I can wash myself!! I don't need your help!!"

"I'll get a death penalty if I don't do this." Ryo didn't answer; he kept pulling against the redhead, trying to pull out of his grasp. Crawford snickered a little to himself, turning on the laptop in front him and began to work.

* * *

"So who bathed who? You or Ryo?" Crawford had to say that; the younger man only glared at him, letting out a low growl as he dried his hair with a towel. Ryo was standing in front of him, also using a towel to dry his own, short black hair. When the two had finally come down, Schuldig had a fresh pair of clothes on, and his hair was damp – not mention the dirt stains were gone.

"This brat doesn't hold still for anything!!" Schuldig complained, lightly hitting Ryo on the head; Ryo saw it in time, ducking away from the hit. Crawford smiled a little, closing the laptop; his stood up to his feet, taking Ryo by the hand. The boy looked up at him confusingly.

"Come on, I'll put you to bed." Ryo wasn't sure why, but he felt awfully safe with the older man around. Schuldig blinked at the unusual tenderness the older man was showing; he had never seen part of the raven-head before. Schuldig sat down on the sofa, towel hanging around his neck, thinking deeply about the situation.

= _Crawford wouldn't just accept a baby-sit offer from someone we barely know – this Sakura must have some kind of connection to him... and Ryo does too!_ =

Schuldig hummed to himself, wondering what connection there was between Sakura and her son, Ryo, to Crawford. The harder he thought about it, the more confusing the picture seemed to be; he spied Ryo's photo album on the table, picking it up and looked through it. His eyes widened, looking up around the living room to spy the few pictures of Ryo as he was now; an odd realization dawned on him.

= _It – it can't be? But... Ryo and Crawford do look alike – except for the eyes..._ =

He closed the album, putting it back on the table; Schuldig stared down at the floor, biting down on his lower lip.

= _I don't want to ask this, but... is – Crawford Ryo's... father?_ =

* * *

Ryo climbed under the covers, letting Crawford tuck the covers underneath him. He took his glasses off, handing them to the older man, for him to place on a small table near the bed. Crawford sat on the edge of the bed, watching as Ryo reached for a stuff rabbit on his bed.

"Don't you dare tell that kappa I have this!!" Ryo demanded, glaring up at the older man; Crawford snickered a little, shaking his head.

"I won't tell him." Crawford gently brushed aside the boy's bangs, giving him a slight smile. Ryo cuddled his rabbit tight, looking up at him curiously.

"Ano... can you tell me how you know my mother? How – you two met?"

"It's a long story, Ryo. You might fall asleep before I even finish half-way." Crawford replied; Ryo pouted, sitting up in his bed, still holding his rabbit tight in his arms.

"I don't care – I'm curious to how you know O-kaa-san!! Tell me!!" Giving in, Crawford nodded his head; Ryo smiled to himself, crawling out from under the covers to sit on the older man's lap. Crawford stared at the boy with slight disbelief, the young raven-head staring down at the floor.

"Gomen nasai – Auntie says that O-kaa-san used to hold me when she told me a story. Auntie does the same thing."

"I understand..." Crawford smiled gently, tenderly wrapping his arms around Ryo to keep the boy on his lap. Ryo leaned against him, waiting for the older raven-head to tell the story.

"It was about 7 years ago, I had come to Japan on an internship for business. At the hotel, at the indoor pool – that's where I met Sakura."

* * *

OH! Looks like Schuldig might have figured out Sakura's (and Crawford's) little secret about Ryo!! O.o Well, of course everyone should know by now what that is! Anyways – looks like next chapt we'll see how Crawford met Sakura 7 years ago. And he's beginning to get closer to his son! (yay!) More sweetness and brotherly/fatherly love to ensure! Thank you for reading! JA NE!

Emotional-Hikari


	6. Meeting My Mother

Sorry – this is very, very (**very**) short!! My bad – but I wanted to get this updated as soon as possible. I'm in a bit of a plot-stumper right now, but I'll fix it!!! (Soon, I hope)

Enjoy the very little I have! Ja!

Warnings: None

Rating: PG

* * *

Brad Crawford, 20 years of age and had just finished his first two years of college, was spending his summer in Japan on an internship for business. Having arrived only yesterday, he was still unaccustomed to the time difference, unable to sleep well at night. He had gone out of his room, hoping that walking around would help make him a little bit sleepier – he ended up getting lost in the large hotel.

_Damn it! Why do they always send me somewhere big?? I'm not suppose to get lost!!_

Brad continued walking around, eventually coming to an indoor pool; he cringed slightly staring at the stilled water, barely paying attention to the beauty of the light reflecting on the surface. He wasn't much for water, he didn't like it that much – nor did he like being in water. Though he'd never admit it, Brad was a weak swimmer and hadn't really bothered to learn how to swim.

He was about to leave when he heard a ringing sound across the pool. He turned around, searching for the source, finally seeing someone standing near the large, glass windows, a crystal cup in hand and a finger lightly tracing the rim. The closer he looked, he noticed it was a woman. She stopped the ringing taking a sip of what Brad guessed was wine.

Once she pulled the glass away from her lips, she ran her finger lightly around the rim, making the glass ring again. Brad walked a bit further into the room, despite his dislike for water. She stopped the ringing, turning her head to face him; Brad froze in place, unsure if he had been too noisy or had disturbed her.

"Um... Sorry – I didn't mean to bother you, but..."

"It's okay – I just didn't expect anyone to be awake at this hour." Indeed it was late – very late; Brad simply stood there, watching the woman take another sip of her wine.

"So – what are you doing up so late? And why here? What were you doing?"

"Me? I was just enjoying the moonlight – alone and quietly." Brad felt annoyed at her answer, as she turned her back towards him, facing the window. He turned his back on her, letting out a hmf.

"If I **_am_** disturbing you – just say so!!" He heard the woman laugh a little, glaring at the space in front of him.

"Sorry – I just didn't want to hurt your feelings, _boy_!"

_...Boy!! _

Now Brad was really annoyed; not looking back at her, he began to walk away, heading back to the exit. Before he reached it, the woman called out to him again, addressing him as 'boy' once more.

"There's something you should know, boy..."

"What?!"

"Shoes aren't allowed in the pool area." The dark-haired woman simply stated, pointing down at the shoes Brad was wearing. The raven-head let out a slight noise, hopping on one foot trying to get his shoes off. The woman laughed a little, teasing him a bit.

"Careful – you don't want to fall in and get wet." No sooner had she said that, Brad slipped, falling right into the deep end of the pool. The woman would have laughed, if she didn't see that the man was flailing his arms. She quickly put her glass down on the table near her, running to the edge of the pool. She dived in, swimming down to grab his hand.

Brad struggled to keep his breath, holding his hands over his nose and mouth, but he had not been able to get enough in. He felt the air deplete from his lungs as the water filled them. Before he passed out, he felt a hand grab his, feeling himself be pulled up to the surface. He felt his body be pulled over to the side of the pool, barely conscious of what was going on around him; he felt a solid contact against his back, coughing the water out of his lungs. He breathed in heavily, slowly opening his eyes to see the woman hovering over him.

"Daijoubu?" She asked; Brad nodded his head, the woman giving him a slight smile. She helped him sit straight up slowly, sitting right next to him.

"I'm sorry, but you swim like a rock. Didn't you ever learn to swim?" Brad tried to glare at the dark-haired woman, before turning his face away from her. He heard a giggle – a very gentle giggle from her.

"I'm sorry – I've been rude. My name is Sakura." She held her out to him, waiting for him to take it. Brad looked at her, before staring at the hand; hesitantly he took it, shaking her hand.

"Crawford – Brad Crawford."

* * *

"Is that how you know o-kaa-san?" Ryo interrupted in a sleepy tone; Crawford looked down in surprise, thinking that the boy had fallen asleep already. He smiled gently, snuggling the boy subconsciously.

"Yes – that's how we met. After that I've wanted to know her."

"Did you do a lot of things together?" Crawford had to pause and think a moment at the question, not wanting to reveal too much to Ryo.

"...Yes. Sakura had a fairly activity job which she let me be a part of – she worked as an agent for the government." Ryo shifted slightly, burying his face deeper against the older raven-head. When he spoke, there was a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Auntie never told me that... What kind of things did she do as an agent?"

"Many things – too many to list. She never did tell exactly what she was doing; days before I had to leave, she told me that she would leave and I... I wouldn't be able to go with her." Crawford saddened a little, remembering that after Sakura had said that to him, they had spent one night together – by morning she had gone without even a note of goodbye. Ryo let out a wide yawn, distracting Crawford from his thought; he smiled gently, moving the boy off his lap and into his bed.

He tucked the younger raven-head in, picking up the stuff rabbit that had fallen to the floor and placed near him. Ryo cuddled it automatically, snuggling against it. Crawford moved to the door, turning off the lights; he gave a last smile before shutting the door behind him, leaving it open just a little – just in case.

* * *

Um – anything said about Crawford's past is totally made up!! (Since they never really specified his past –anyway!!) Crawford tells Ryo how he met Sakura! Yay! But doesn't tell Ryo that he's his father – yet! O.o Stayed tuned for the next chapt (I hope!) and we'll find out if Ryo ever knows!! JA!

Emotional-Hikari


	7. HopeChan and RyoChan

HA!! Take that stupid writer's block!! I have conquered you with two updates!!! (Another story) Sorry everyone, but between college apps, homework (which I'm suppose to be doing ahem), and being hooked on the Sims2 – I've been pretty absorbed – help!! Anyways…

Here's the next chapt – Enjoy!

Warnings: Maybe shounen-ai???

Rating: PG

* * *

"You don't take cans from the bottom of the pile!! Everyone knows that!!!" Schuldig scolded, moving to hit Ryo on the head; the dark-haired boy saw the action before it was done, easily avoiding the hit. He mumbled under his breath, holding his arms behind his head, one bag of groceries hanging from his hands.

"I've taken from the bottom before – you just gave me bad luck, kappa."

"You still don't take from the bottom – and don't call me kappa!!!!" Crawford let out a sigh, placing a hand to the side of his face. Ayumi had called this morning, suddenly remembering that she had forgotten to pick up groceries for the week; she asked them if they could quickly go down the store and buy a few things till she came back on Monday. Though, there had been a slight accident when Schuldig sent Ryo to pick up something from the list.

"Kappa, kappa, kappa, kappa!!!"

"You little brat!! I'll get you for that!!!" Ryo ran ahead, careful with his bag of foods; he stuck his tongue out at the redhead, looking back ahead of him. The boy froze suddenly in his tracks before quickly running back to them. Crawford and Schuldig blinked, as Ryo hid himself behind Crawford.

"Wha?"

"Shhh!!! I'm not here!!!" Ryo commanded, trying to remain as quiet as he could, standing behind Crawford. The two men glanced at each other, Schuldig shrugging his shoulders; a young, happy voice called out to them.

"Suimimasen!! Did you see a boy come through?" The two looked to see a girl probably around Ryo's age, with light brown hair, and beautiful bright brown eyes walking towards them. The girl looked around the block they were on, before looking past Crawford, seeing Ryo hiding behind him.

"Ryo-chan!!" The dark-haired boy jumped, running out from behind Crawford and almost into the girl. The brunette laughed, a wide smile spreading across her face; Ryo stood up straight, standing frozen in place.

"H-Hope-c-chan…"

"I haven't seen you around lately – how are you?"

"G-g-g-go…" Ryo stuttered with his word, making Hope giggle a little. She leaned a little forward to see his face under his cap; Ryo had a slight blush across his nose.

"It's nice that you are good too, but the right word is 'fine'. I'm fine too." Hope corrected with a wide smile still on her face. Ryo nodded his head stiffly to the correction. Crawford and Schuldig watched with slight bemusement as the two children talked.

"We should play ball or something together some time – since I moved schools, I rarely ever seen you."

"H-ha-hai." Ryo spurted out his reply; Hope gave him one last smile, before giving him a hug and ran off. Ryo's eyes widened as the other child hugged him, feeling his blush deepen further. He waved a stiff goodbye as she ran off, pulling his cap down to cover his eyes and face. Schuldig came up to the boy.

"So, who is that?"

"That's Hope-chan… She is a friend in my school before she moved schools." Schuldig felt a grin spread across his face; despite being a telepath, even he didn't need that to see that Ryo had a crush on this girl.

"Awww, how cute. Our little brat has a crush!!" The redhead teased; Ryo's mouth dropped open, making a loud 'eh' sound. He waved his arms around, shaking his head, denying the tease.

"Chigau!! Chigau, chigau, **CHIGAU**!!!" Schuldig laughed at the blush visible on the boy's face, Ryo trying to get the older man to shut up. Crawford smiled to himself, not at the pair fighting, but at the fact Ryo had a crush on someone. Though most parents would dismiss this as 'puppy-love', Crawford believed this was something deep; he knew Sakura would believe this as something deep as well. The trio continued on back home, Schuldig finally shutting up when Crawford whacked him hard on the head.

* * *

"Arigatou gozaimashita. I hope Ryo wasn't too much trouble for you?" Ayumi questioned a slightly worried expression on her face. Schuldig made the initiative to answer, but Crawford elbowed him in the side, speaking first.

"He wasn't any trouble, it just this **one** that was the trouble." Crawford explained, pointing to Schuldig. The redhead fumed, while Ryo snickered in the back, earning a slight hit on the head by Ayumi.

"I hope I can call you again to take care of Ryo."

"Believe me, I'll be glad…" Crawford whispered his response; Ayumi only smiled, understanding what he meant. She gave a low bow to them, thanking them once more taking care of Ryo; the boy gave a slight bow as well, muttering something close to a thank you. Crawford and Schuldig left, Ayumi ushering Ryo up to his room for bed; she gave him a quick kiss on the forehead, before leaving his room. Ayumi went back downstairs towards a room near the back of the small house; she stopped at the door, checking around herself to be sure that Ryo hadn't sneaked downstairs. Finding it clear, she took out a key from the top, and unlocked the door and stepped in.

The graying hair woman carefully eased the door open, closing it lightly behind her. She flipped the switch, a dim red light illuminating the room. Along the walls hung weapons of all sorts; Chinese stars, small knives and handguns, a long katana still in perfect condition lay on the very back wall. Ayumi walked to a small desk at the furthest corner of the room, picking up an old modal phone, dialing in the number.

She listened to the tone ring, praying in heart that the number still worked; she waited six ring tones before deciding on giving up. She convinced herself one more ring. Someone picked up.

'Moshi, moshi?'

"Serpent – I want to speak to Serpent." Ayumi stated, her face emotionless, and her voice equally passive. The person on the other end hummed, calling out to 'Serpent'; a female voice answered the phone.

'Qui a?'

"Dragon Rogue…"

'…Dragon Rogue? C'est impossible!' The voice on the other line trembled a little; Ayumi's passive voice began to take emotion, a slight smirk spreading across her lips.

"(1)Si, je m'appelle Dragon Rogue. Surpris?"

'(2)Oui… tu n'est pas morte?'

"(3)Non – je suis très vivant. Je veux quelque chose de tu."

'(4)Qu'est-ce que tu veux faire?'

Ayumi felt her smirk widened, her voice now sounding very dangerous; the voice on the other side was trembling with each word spoken, waiting on her reply.

"Get rid of Sakura permanently!"

* * *

Sorry if my French is terrible! (Sweatdrop) I supposed to be in level 3 and I still suck!!! (cries) Anyways, what the conversation translates to:

Serpent snake, serpent obviously

Dragon Rogue now I think we can figure that out!

Qui a? suppose to be who? But I don't think that's it

C'est impossible it's impossible!

(1) yes… I am Red Dragon (literally translating – yes, my name is Red Dragon)

(2) Yes… You didn't die?

(3) no, I am very much alive (unsure of verb used there) I want something of you (unsure of sentence structure here)

(4) What do you want to do?

Hmm – looks like there's something about Ayumi we don't know about – heck even I don't know (actually, I do, or else I wouldn't be writing this part!)

Anyways, sorry for such a short chapter, but I think it is best if I did that. I wanted to introduce Ryo's little girlfriend before I continued any further. (smiles) Yes, Hope does feel back to the same way, but she shows it differently. Thank you all for reading – been very down with a lot of things (cries!!).

Till next time! Stay tune! JA!

Emotional-Hikari


	8. Attack on Sakura

WOAH! Third story updated in one day! I must really be on a role…

_Cough _Anyways…

Warnings: …

Rating: K+

* * *

The monitor beeped steadily, but Crawford barely paid any attention to it; he watched the woman with a burden look, hoping, wishing that she was just sleeping, and any moment she would wake up and see him there. Crawford held Sakura's hand lightly in his, gently pressing it against his forehead. She felt as warm as she had always been, as he had always remembered.

_Sakura – please don't leave me like this…_

No matter how many times he had heard – from Ryo, from Ayumi, from the doctors, he couldn't just believe that Sakura might never wake up. The warm smile she gave would never been shown again; her laughter resonating throughout the room would be silenced forever – he couldn't believe. Crawford placed a peck on her hand, watching her still figure on the bed.

_Please Sakura – don't die like this; not in this way…_

He closed his eyes, remembering what little time they had spent together. Every since she had left him seven years ago, he had never heard from her, but thought about her often. At least till Schwarz, where he had abandoned all of his past, he had abandoned all ambitions before Schwarz, before darkness – he had abandoned her.

_Sakura… I am so sorry…_

Crawford saw something in his mind – a vision; he stood up to his feet, pulling his gun out of his coat and fired without question. Three men dressed in black, masks covering their faces appeared through the door, two already shot down by Crawford, the third avoiding the bullets. Crawford reached an arm around Sakura's still body, pulling her close to him as the third struck the bed where she laid.

Surprised, he froze as the point of Crawford's gun was at his forehead, a menacing glare on the older man's face. The man quivered, making small whimpering noises from fear.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Crawford pulled the trigger, the man falling dead instantly at the shot. Crawford hid his gun back into his coat, carefully holding Sakura in his arms; a few nurses and doctors ran into the room, having heard the gun shots earlier. They were shocked to find three men on the floor – one dead and two badly wounded. After recovering from their shock, the nurses called others to tend to the two men still alive, while the doctor asked Crawford to follow him to take care of Sakura.

* * *

"Will she be alright?"

"She is fine now. The injuries of her accident have long healed, but it was a blow to the head that has kept her in a coma for all these years." The doctor explained the full condition of Sakura's accident. It had been a car accident; she had been driving it appeared and another driver, who may have been drunk, had crashed into her. While Sakura had barely survived, the other driver had died on impact.

"It was a miracle she even made it here still breathing."

"Aa…" Doctor dismissed himself, saying that they are putting Sakura under constant surveillance. Crawford lingered a little longer, listening to the heart monitor beeping resonate throughout the room. He finally turned to leave, giving her one last glance before closing the door behind him. As he walked down the hall, he heard voices – voices that sounded all too familiar down the hall from one of the hospital rooms.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he stood against the wall, peeking inside the room to find his suspicions correct. Three of the Weiss members were inside talking to one of their members, who he guessed had recently fallen to a terrible accident.

_That would explain the lack of communication lately…_

Neither side had quite accepted the fact that they were working together on a truce, so communication was scare as it is. Crawford peeked further, seeing it was the eldest Weiss member sitting in a hospital bed.

"Daijoubu ka, Youji-kun?"

"Yeah, that was a pretty nasty fall you took." The blond gave a slight nod, looking at them with a slight smile.

"Hai, daijoubu, Omi-kun, Ken-kun." The others could only nod; something seemed different about the man, something they couldn't place. His normally radiant, full green eyes were blank and cold, as if his life spirit had not truly returned to his body. His voice, normally deep and laced in charm, was very soft, and almost child-like. Youji had been like this since an accident that had occurred about a week ago.

"Yokatta! We were really worried about you."

"Arigatou…" Though Youji was recovering from his injuries and could go back home to rest, the rest of Weiss felt it would be better for him to remain in the hospital – given his current state of mind. Youji listened as the others talked among themselves for a bit, occasionally engaging him in conversation. He looked past them to the door, catching eyes with Crawford.

The older man froze for a moment, but stayed long enough to see the blond smile at him in such a way that it reminded him of Sakura. Crawford turned away, continuing on his way to the exit of the hospital.

* * *

Um… _sweatdrop_ Sorry if this is getting a little weird… I promise things will be explained – eventually…

I do know that most likely next chapter you'll find out why Youji is in the hospital and why he seems so… so… out in space? Dazed? Not himself?

Thank you for reading though! Ja

Emotional-Hikari


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